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The kiosks are torn down, the free shirts are all gone, and the YouTubers are in editing. Yep, another E3 is finally in the books. Now the hard part of waiting for the games on the show floor to find their way to our homes begins.  Now that the gauntlet of bouncing from appointment to appointment is done, you can read about all the games we got hands on time with.

The Games of Indiecade

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst

Lego Marvel’s Avengers

Rock Band 4

Disney Infinity 3.0

Skylanders Superchargers

Mad Max

Who Won Media Monday?

For now I want everyone to take a peek at a slice of our week through the eyes of independent film maker Ricardo Ramirez.

Xbox Media Briefing and Fan Fest

The week in E3

All photos by Ricardo Ramirez

Thanks for the photos and that’s it for us from E3, read the E3 Wrap Up for a chance to win a prize pack from the show and we’ll do more at SDCC in a few weeks.

Before we move on to the next big show here at Comics Beat, I wanted to talk a little about the E3 2015 that was and the shape of two industries post show.

E3 2015 is done. Now the hard part of waiting for everything we saw to be in our actual hands begins. No wait, Arkham Knight comes out Tuesday. I happen to agree with what popular gaming site Kotaku said about this year’s show. Sure in the moment, you can’t help but feel anything except excitement for the future. Then shortly after the show when I walked down Figueroa and saw the giant Batman banner. It suddenly dawned on me, I’m actually glad it’s over cause I get to play that next week. We knew Halo and Fallout would be coming this year, but every surprise we saw seemed to be for a much later date. In a world of bacon wrapped pizzas, you don’t know if you have that kind of time.

On Monday, I gave the overall E3 victory to Xbox. Once Tuesday rolled around and we saw longer versions of what Sony showed during their press event; the victory was still the same but the margin by which Microsoft came out victorious was smaller. “We won’t charge you to play the games you already own”, backwards compatibly was the announcement of the show and such a consumer friendly move. It’s a jab directly at Sony that states Microsoft’s intent. It might not be the top feature you look for in a console, but it’s certainly one worth putting in bold on the box. While it remains to roll out, if Xbox can pull off free backwards compatibility it gains them back so much good will they lost early on. For all I love about PlayStation including the Vita and PS Plus, its entire ecosystem is like the newer Terminator movies they just don’t speak to each other very well and that leaves an opening for Xbox.

What happens post show, well Sony has a chance that Microsoft won’t. Because of the punches that PlayStation took this time around, they’ll have another huge PlayStation Experience event like they did in Las Vegas. It’ll be the opportunity for them to regroup and sell fans on Morpheus, perhaps also backtrack on the PS Now. The event’s crowd will undoubtedly be biased in favor of Sony, so much so that even if PlayStation literally admitted charging their customers to stream old games they already own was a mistake, it would still be met with thunderous applause that drowns out media criticism. It’ll also be the point where Sony can either cancel Morpheus or drop a focused presentation that ends with major price news. With multiple VR headsets scheduled to come out in 2016, Sony has to do something to ensure the early adopters will be on their side. Let’s face it, this unproven technology doesn’t leave financial room for gamers to have multiple headsets. Just like Highlander, “there can only be one”… well in our homes anyway.

That’s the thought of the overall show. Now I want to talk about what we’re all about here… comics! Mostly how they relate to the gaming industry after E3. The volume and direction of how comic books traverse the world of gaming speaks to the state of both mediums. One thing that particularly stuck out to me was how many games are being licensed by comics publishers as opposed to video games licensing comics. Such a gap leaves opportunity for comics publishers to make better inroads with gaming audiences.

Look at all the books, either recently in stores or coming soon, that are based on video games. Halo: Escalation, Tomb Raider, Plants Vs Zombies, Mirror’s Edge: Exordium, Skylanders, Metal Gear and Persona 4 are just some that come to mind. Most of those titles are the result of deals where Marvel or any comics publisher approach studios with hopes of producing a book or two based on the most popular games. And why wouldn’t they, gaming has the largest captive young audience of any medium. It would almost be foolish not to.

There’s also a flip side to that coin. Lately, most video game publishers aren’t in a hurry to license comics. Major exceptions are becoming more rare these days. Batman: Arkham Asylum was the first true quality Batman comic game. It came at a critical time when WB needed to capitalize on comics. We got Watchmen a few years after getting the taste of Superman Returns out of our mouths, but WB was on it’s way to producing a bad Green Lantern movie. With some of their major properties coming to an end in film, WB needed comics to be consistently viable in other places. Their game’s division was a perfect catalyst for something big and they had the right studio in Rocksteady. The rest is Arkham history.

Can you remember a big comic book based game that didn’t come from the in-house parent company? Probably the best, most recent example would be Telltale Games The Walking Dead. Telltale is a studio with a rich licensed game library like Sam & Max and Back to the Future to name a few, but they weren’t on the map of mainstream media. That attention didn’t come till they crafted one of the best Walking Dead stories ever with Lee and Clementine. At this year’s E3 they announced a new project based in the comic book world of Walking Dead which features fan favorite character Michonne. Telltale themselves are a great developer and made fantastic story driven games before Kirkman, but I don’t believe they’d be where they are today without Walking Dead.

Games carry a similar curse to film. Just because a studio taps a property doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll ever get to play that game. Some time ago there was talk of Aspen Comics’ Fathom being a game but that never happened and even though 2K’s partnership with Top Cow gave us back-to-back games based on The Darkness; the second ended on a cliffhanger that left us wanting a third we’ll never see.

When you look at things objectively, the video game industry certainly doesn’t need comics. It’s emerged as the dominant form of entertainment and rightfully so. Comics just can’t match that level of volume sales and distribution, but there is room to grow through gaming. It just needs the flow to change. Marvel and DC didn’t accomplish this on the level it intended to with film. Moviegoers who don’t read comics are older and less likely to go from the theater to the comic shop. The immersive nature of gaming is a better primer for this in its younger audience. Sure the Arkham and Injustice books do well because their known properties, but there’s a significant percentage of their buyers that never picked up a comic book until they saw those titles and were easily accessible through digital platform.

Yes, it’s easier said than done but comic creators need to focus less on getting that movie deal and more on who would make a kick-ass game out of my comic. You could argue that only the major books from the big two have a chance at crossing into games, but then how you you explain The Wolf Among Us based on Fables or The Darkness. Both of those games are stellar examples of what could be accomplished with properties that aren’t part of the mainstream.

I know that neither industry is as simple as I just made it seem, and sure there’s tons of legal meetings people must have behind close doors before something can even get off the ground. We just aren’t as in the dark as we think. One of the benefits of the social media age is having access to the people who make your favorite games. Part of why more comics aren’t games is because we don’t tweet out things such as “hey I loved this game, and this comic would be awesome in that style” enough. Most of Image Comics line up would be awesome in gaming. I love what Dark Horse Comics did with The Last of Us, but I think a Hellboy game based on the comics and made by Ninja Theory would be a winner.

In order to achieve the growth in comics readership we’d all love to see; gamers have to be exposed to Superman (better than before), Saga, and even Archie. Bringing games over to comics isn’t a bad start, but the flows can’t be as lopsided as in recent years. Why is Batman: Arkham Knight the only, based on a comic book, blockbuster game coming out this year. The goal should be at least two or three a year. Comic industry, instead of saying hey let us make a comic based on Mortal Kombat, it’s time to say have you thought about making a game based on our Teen Titans book!

If you’ve read through this then thanks and you definitely deserve a prize. So let’s giveaway a bunch of E3 stuff first person that follows @Comicsbeat on instagram and tags us in a shot of their favorite comic book game wins this and a few other pieces from E3 and it includes a shirt given away by the folks at Batman: Arkham Knight.

If you aren’t on instagram, then follow and tweet the same thing at me.

For every mega million dollar production in gaming there are hundreds of small independent games passionately crafted by coders, artists, and story tellers who’ve traded the safety of corporation for the wings of creative freedom. The memorable experiences in gaming aren’t always coming out of Microsoft or Sony, in fact if you wan’t to see the best parts of gaming you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger gathering than Indiecade.

Founded by a coalition of producers in 2005, Indiecade brings a slice of its Fall festival to the E3 show floor every year. Gamers could spend the entire day playing tons of great games you’ve probably never heard of and not even realize they missed any triple A games. In the short time we had at their booth, several games stood out but here are some of the ones that became embedded on our mind grapes.

SMS Racing

by Turbo Button

If there was ever a commercial for what not to do behind the wheel in real life, the developers at Turbo Button just came up with it. SMS Racing is part endurance mode and part racing game. The gauntlet you traverse only begins at city streets you’ll attempt to navigate while trying to beat competitors to the finish line. Your real objective in the game is to keep your friends who refuse to leave you alone on the road. When you begin driving random text messages appear and you must respond before the 10 second timer runs down. On an Xbox controller, you control the car with the left thumb stick while texting using corresponding letters to the X,A,Y,B buttons. When you fail, and you absolutely will, your friends will feel ignored. Once you lose three, it’s game over.

Sounds simple enough right? The challenge ramps up due to using the game in VR. Your field of view mimics that of you behind the wheel not what you’d see on a TV. If you were playing the game on a huge television, it wouldn’t be that complicated; but when you’re immersed in the VR screen your eyes are as distracted directionally as they would be in real life.

Anyone whose ever said I can drive and text at the same time needs to play this game. Best part is, here they won’t kill anyone. In the words of a famous small town pizza lawyer “it’s all perfectly legal.” SMS Racing is as fun as the messages you’ll receive are cheesy and OMG they are, LOL. The game is still in development and will release for VR Platforms in late 2015.

Find out more at the SMS Racing’s website here.

Tripad

by Alexander Krasij

Tripad isn’t so much a new game as it is a new device to play games on. Constructed out of three Novation LaunchPad Mini devices arranged in a special configuration, controlled via MIDI commands. The game we played is a version of a soccer drill, called Gladiatorial, where the object is to keep the ball in your area till all the lights in your section glow. If you’re playing with three people boasting sharp reflexes the game could go on for hours. I don’t have them, so the volunteer I played against won like it was nothing. The device responds flawlessly while having to process three different sets of commands at once.  In the future, Tripad could be the next thing we use at parties or to pass the time waiting in line at conventions.

There’s a potential for other creators to design different kinds of party games on a device like this, but the tech would need to be something that could be manufactured for less money in order to have a shot at landing in homes. Until then we’ll dream about the Simon, Pong, and Battleship style games that could be on this.

The Lost Valley VR

by Paper Crane Games

Did you hate Jurassic World? You might like this. Did you love Jurassic World? You still might like this. Founded by ex-Neversoft developers, Paper Crane Games are creating quality VR experiences. One of their latest, The Lost Valley VR shows off how detailed VR can be while also letting gamer’s eyes play photographer. When you strap on the Oculus Rift and take this journey, you’re put inside a boat going down a river where different creatures from the paleozoic era reside.

You’ll be equipped with a camera controlled by a button. As a photographer for scientists, it’s up to you to get the best composed and angled photos for research as you pass all the different forms of life. At the end of your trip your photos will be scored on usability, composition, etc. Even though everything is on a predictable rail going down stream, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by the beauty and detail of this world thereby missing the perfect shot.

Currently, The Lost Valley VR is available on the developers website as an experience for others with Oculus dev kits. A finished version will be available once VR starts to launch next year.

Find out more about The Lost Valley VR and Paper Crane Games on their website.

Butt Sniffin Pugs

by SpaceBeagles

Our favorite experience at the Indiecade booth had us step into the adorable world of puglife. Game developer SpaceBeagles made a game simply called Butt Sniffin Pugs. As a pug you’ll pee, poop, and bark at objects and animals in the small patch of land called “Central Bark”. What makes the game irresistible is the controller.

Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s a giant tennis ball and stuffed dog butt. The two buttons on top correspond to two abilities you’ll be able to use at a time such as peeing and pooping. If you want to bite something or bark at a duck in the pond you’ll need to get close to the other dog and tap the stuff dogged keister to sniff the other pugs butt. Just like in real life… I think, I don’t know I don’t have Animal Planet anymore.

As a pug in this park we got to pee on an old lady’s picnic, bite a bird, and catch a frisbee. Every action has a reaction and they’re all as captivating as watching puppies or cats on the Internet. There’s so much to unlock, you can even take a selfie or your pug in the game and upload it! I’m officially giving Butt Sniffin Pugs the Comics Beat “Certified Mint” E3 award. Even though it’s a thing I just made up, it’s no less prestigious. Congrats to every one at SpaceBeagles!

The team is targeting PS4 and PC platforms for a late 2015 release but there’s no word on how this unique hardware will be produced. But look at it in action!

Keep up with Butt Sniffin Pugs on SpaceBeagles website.

If you consider yourself a gamer, you owe it to the art you so love to check out the annual Indiecade festival in Culver City, CA this Fall. Even more independent games will be on display in a gathering of the community that is gaming.

It wasn’t that long ago.

Kid’s parties, high school sleepovers, adults getting drunk because it was Saturday; all these were once strung through by rocking with your friends in games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. And why not. The fun of pretending to rock out with your friends to your favorite head banging tunes. Feeling that brief moment where you could let it all out and only a living room full of your friends would be the wiser. Then for a time, it all went dormant. If you look in your closet, you might find relics of the good times. Plastic guitars and usb microphones might be nestled in your garage, buried in boxes marked “Xmas ornaments”. But there’s hope for them… Rock Band 4 is coming.

In 2015, the music gaming genre is ready for its comeback tour. Fresh out of celebrity rehab and ready to take the stage again, Rock Band 4 is more an evolution than a sequel. We were invited to check out the game first hand on Harmonix’s outdoor stage at E3 and speak with PR Lead, Nick Chester about the game’s upcoming features.

The first thing we noticed is the direction of the visuals Harmonix decided on for the game. Rather than follow the competition by completely changing their art style; the developer upgraded the trademark style of Rock Band by having it go full 1080p 60FPS. What that means for players is a much smoother gameplay with little to no screen lag. Indeed, when you suck at this game; this time it’s on us.

A new Rock Band for a new age means the shredding has to be turned up to 11. This time around guitarists will help the band really stand out in the new “Freestyle Guitar Solo“. During a song’s guitar solo, players will be able to compose their own face melting riffs using any combination of the buttons they can come up with. The better it sounds the more points the band scores overall. Rock Band is also helping out the vocalists who like to sing but sound like a cartoon chicken being rung by the neck. Not only does the USB microphone have a better more actual microphone feel, but the vocal range it can convey is much broader than before. The game will also help singers by letting you set your song to be a mix of your own vocal with one from the actual track. Harmonix managed to tweak this very well, to the point where you can distinguish yourself from the song while not completely butchering it. Rock Band 4 will also have a new story mode so players can bring their bands back together and conquer the world.

If you still have your old instruments intact, dust them off because Rock Band 4 will support all previously released hardware. Though if you want to buy the new gear, it’s got a few upgrades of its own from Mad Catz. The guitar now has a gyroscope for better reading of your movements. Jumping off things never worked better (we do not endorse jumping off things).

Rock Band 4 will utilize the sharing features of the newer systems, but those plans aren’t ready to be fully revealed quite yet. Though the developer is looking forward to seeing what the players can come up with once the game is released.

Now let’s talk about what really matters man… the music. Since the game’s last release in 2010, the music industry has added a few bands and Harmonix knows you kids want your Imagine Dragons and what not.  So far confirmed for the game is

• Avenged Sevenfold – “Hail to the King”

• Benjamin Booker – “Violent Shiver” *

• Elvis Presley – “Suspicious Minds” *

• Fleetwood Mac – “You Make Loving Fun”

• Jack White – “Lazaretto”

• The Killers – “Somebody Told Me”

• Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” *

• Queens of the Stone Age – “My God Is The Sun” *

• Scandal – “The Warrior” *

• Spin Doctors – “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”

• The Who – “The Seeker”

All that DLC you previously purchased isn’t going to waste either. Rock Band 4 will support all your previous purchases. There are a few notes to take on this though. For one, if your last Rock Band game was on Xbox 360 you’re better off getting the Xbox One version. Previous DLC won’t transfer cross platform. As Harmonix put it, playing purchases from one platform to the other is like “putting an Xbox disc in a PlayStation” it just doesn’t work that way. The good news is you will not need to purchase any additional license to transfer your previous DLC purchases. As the previous songs are added to the DLC list you’ll simply be able to re-download them for play on the new game.

In our social, lip sync battle, world it feels like this is the right time for a return to music gaming. These games were social before social became something we did on our phones hundreds of miles away from other people. Rock Band is going to bring people back into living rooms while also letting them feel what its like for recording artist who collaborate in booths on different sides of the world, and that is what’s really cool.

One personal note. Harmonix, I need more Rancid. Please have the Blink 182/ Matt Skiba combination record something for you. While you’re at it how about The Descendents and some Minor Threat? Okay, now this is just a list of demands, sorry. What songs does everyone out there want in the game?

Rock Band 4 releases on the PS4 and Xbox One on October 6, 2015. You can pre-order the game or bundle at all game retailers for 30 additional DLC tracks. Find out more on the game’s website here.

Over the last few years, it feels as though Disney’s business model was listening to a five year old smash together her or his action figures while making up stories with raucous sound effects and accidentally spitting kook-aid every where. To consumers and fans alike, it worked! Disney not only owns the intellectual property of several great in house and Pixar characters, but they’ve roped in all characters Marvel Comics has ever published and the universe that George Lucas created.

They aren’t missing any opportunities to capitalize. Their newest wallet cracker from Disney Interactive, for the first time, brings the Star Wars universe to Disney Infinity 3.0. The folks over at Disney Interactive gave us a guided tour of their lavish E3 booth and a sliver of hands on time with the upcoming Twilight of the Republic playset.

From the moment you jump into the Disney version of the Star Wars universe it feels very familiar to the previous entries. The game’s platform elements have some neat things going on. As Darth Maul, I found myself rail grinding through a playful version of the lava factory Anakin battled Obi-Wan in. Once I force jumped my way onto a nearby platform the real difference in the game kicked in. Avalanche Software, the games lead developer, brought in studio Ninja Theory to construct Infinity 3.0’s light saber combat. You might know the studio’s work from fantastic action combat games like the newest Devil May Cry (DMC) and Heavenly Sword. The difference shows!

Force characters have powered attacks like push and leap while light saber wielding attacks feel fluid and meaty. Both Jedi and Sith characters also have specific traits. For example running with Darth Vader automatically blocks incoming attacks. The combat is an evolution from the button mashing we’re accustom to from Disney Interactive games. It manages to feel slightly complex yet simple enough for kids to be proficient with. We also got to take on General Grevious in a harsh boss battle, four light sabers and all. It took both Darth Maul and Darth Vader to bring him down as these battles are tough but not overcooked steak tough.

Disney Infinity 3.0 will be one of the most ambitious launches in the franchise’s history. Once the Infinity 3.0 set launches with Twilight of the Republic characters other sets based on different Star Wars periods will be made available. Each play set is story-driven and provides players a multi- level, true-to-property experience.

Additional TOTR characters:

 

Rebels TOTR:

 

 

Rise Against The Empire:

 

Bobba Fett will be exclusive to PlayStation through the holidays and will even see a Fett themed starter pack.

The Star Wars™ Saga Starter Pack for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems will be the only place that fans will be able to play as Boba Fett in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition through the holidays, and will also allow fans to get the Star Wars™ Rise Against the Empire Play Set nearly a month before it hits store shelves. The limited edition exclusive Sony offering includes:
Star Wars Saga Starter Pack for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 (suggested retail price: $114.99):
(1) Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition video game software
(1) Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set piece, (1) Ahsoka Tano figure, (1) Anakin Skywalker figure
(1) Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set piece, (1) Luke Skywalker figure, (1) Princess Leia figure
(1) Boba Fett figure
(1) Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition base
(1) Web Code card (unlocks content for PC/mobile)

Even Pixar’s newest animated film is getting in on 3.0

Inside Out Play Set:

 

Other sets are in the works that continue the Marvel inclusion from Infinity 2.0 including Hulkbuster Iron Man. Toy Box mode returns to Infinity 3.0 with a few new features including a new interface which makes it easier for players to choose from a variety of family-friendly gameplay options – from platform, racing and farming simulation games – and activities to inspire players to create their own worlds in the Toy Box. Players can either venture into a Play Set, or partake in short campaigns before creating their own Toy Box world. Creating and sharing their one-of-a-kind levels and mini-games with family and friends has never been easier with improved editing tools and linking system. Players can also summon Townspeople Sidekicks to accomplish feats, attack enemies or help them build in the Toy Box.

In additon, two new Toy Box expansion games will be included where players customize everything using unlocked toys from across all of Disney Infinity 1&2. Toy Box Speedway will be where characters can race across nine tracks to determine who’s the fastest. The other new game is Takeover, where you can enlist the help of friends in order to defend your Toy Box across six-levels from different Disney properties.

Disney fanatics won’t have to wait long as Infinity 3.0 will hit stores Fall 2015 on all Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles, including PC and a mobile version. We’re sure to see even more including near finished versions of play sets at this year’s D23 Expo.

Find out more about the game on the Disney Infinity website.

When you’re first dropped into the world of Mad Max’s E3 demo, Avalanche Studios don’t make any apologies for leaving you in a harsh and barren world that’s every bit as hostile as the one in the original films felt.

As Max, you’ve got only one objective in this game, survive. In order to do this you’ll need to build the ultimate apocalypse perseverance vehicle, the Magnum Opus.  When you begin the game you’ll be rebuilding your version of the iconic car piece-by-piece as you defeat enemies, salvage scrap, and destroy marauder vehicles.

During our invited hands on session, we were given the option of testing the game’s on foot combat missions or what we really all came to see, vehicular mayhem. As the demo began a rusted halfway constructed vehicle begs to tear up the waterless surface of the the desolate planet. The only thing it needs is an engine. In this game there’s no vendors or shop to buy parts from. You will fight for everything! Five seconds into the demo I was fighting a gang of three marauders in brutal hand-to-hand combat that had me finish off one of these thugs by blowing a hole through one of them — barrel to chest–.

Once I picked up the engine they guarded and somehow magically lifted it into the car single handedly; my mechanic and I were off. For the demo our single mission objective was to acquire a better V8 engine for the car by destroying a boss vehicle in convoy, but before you can fight it you’ll have to catch up with it. Fortunately, your vehicle is equipped with boost and special weapons for combat.

After catching up to the convoy the real mayhem commences. If you took the vehicular combat of a Twisted Metal and poured it into the open world of GTA, you’d only begin to describe what went down in this battle. Once you begin the attack, the shield cars will pull out all the stops in order to keep you from your objective. The enemy AI in vehicle combat is relentless. Even when the cars managed to knock me off they continued a brutal tactical assault. Max isn’t defenseless, his car has different ways of taking down vehicles and even combining attacks yields different satisfying effects. He can hop in the back of the car and use a sniper rifle to shoot at the enemy vehicle or the driver. If controlling the car and aiming a gun prove to challenging there’s always good old fashion smashing. In addition to building a vehicle, you’ll be able to customize it with heavy armor, spiked grills, tires, and custom paint jobs to name a few things. Maybe he’ll get an iPod connection, who knows the possibilities feel vast.

The most satisfying part of vehicle combat was the ability to target specific parts of enemy cars with a harpoon. You can rip off a door or take out a tire with it. If you’ve got the targeting chops, you can even yank another driver out of their own car. Getting the hang of all this requires a bit of a learning curve so we took down the lead car by smashing it into a mountain.

Once that was over and we had five minutes in the open world, it was time to take in the beauty of this post-apocalyptic land. There’s no cities, no gorgeous landmarks; it’s drab, vast, and you’ll see familiar unfriendly compounds. In short it’s Mad Max!

Don’t expect this game to have connections to the recent Mad Max: Fury Road film. This game has been in production on its own path, one that resonates everything we love about the original movies. There could be room for Fury Road content later on but for now the group is focused on perfecting their own story that’s Avalanche Studios love letter to the original classics.

Mad Max the game releases on PS4, Xbox One, and PC this September. You can find more on the game’s official website here.

Rubber-hose animation is back -- only this time in a videogame.

Greetings and welcome to what officially is day one of Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. The difference being today Journalists, buyers, and friends of friends in the industry are joined by thousands of sweaty gamers looking to score their newest free fashion statement inside the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Before the doors of the convention center opened at noon, Nintendo got there moment in the media spotlight. The company has moved from a lavish live stage presentation to a more subtle digital press conference for everyone. Admittedly, I have yet to watch it as there’s no Wi-Fi in the convention center. I’ll post it here so we can all bask in what I’m told is not their finest hour, but there are puppets so the universe evens out again.

Once the show floor opened, day one was spent in the west hall of LACC taking in hands on demos and brief conversations with most of Warner Bros Interactive’s soon to be released games: Mad Max, Arkham Knight, Lego Marvel’s Avengers. (Lego Dimensions will be later this week) We’ll go in-depth about each game on Comics Beat soon. As a note, WB is not sparing expense when it comes to marketing Arkham Knight and Mad Max. Not that it really needs it, I mean look…

Comics Beat was also graciously invited by Harmonix to check out the thunderous return of music party gaming with Rockband 4 and we’ll talk about everything coming to the game later on.

For now let’s talk about how this show is a comparison and contrast to those little San Diego Comic Cons we all love so much. For starters, E3 is a trade show. Among the horde of rabid gamers, you’ll spot a ton of suits negotiating purchasing deals and talking about what it feels like to swim in pools filled with gold coins instead of water. In a way there’s more riding on a show like this financially than any other appearance these publishers make. Every company who invests in space on the E3 floor has to make a big splash. It’s because of this that “theatricality” best sums up the E3 floor.

If you look on Instagram.com/comicsbeat you’ll see a few shots of the outside of the building where most of the major game releases have draped their stadium sized banners over the convention center. Each of the lobbies in the two exhibit halls have also been converted into demo space and extravagant displays. Xbox used the lobby space to build a more than modest sized stage to broadcast from the show daily while Mad Max put up a replica vehicle in front of them. Even in one of the off corners of the lobby the Dark Souls game thought it prime real estate for a huge statue that erupted with fake blood.

Then you actually go inside…

From the moment you walk into either of the exhibit halls (Yes there are two!) you’ll notice a distinct lack of fluorescent lighting. It’s replaced by dim ceiling lighting that makes way for an entire exhibit hall that’s adopted the — look at me — lighting scheme of a Rammstein concert. Most of the booths on the floor are massive, it would take two DC Comics booths from SDCC to occupy a space the size of an Activision at E3. Each publisher’s booth is a small miracle of design and engineering as a they have to cram one sometimes two 20-30 person capacity theaters in their space along with hands-on kiosks for regular attendee game demos, not to mention an area for employees, VIPs, and media.

The floor at E3 is more of an assault on the senses than any Comic Con.

Even if you can manage to get into E3, just because you’re at a trade show doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with overflowing lines to play the games or even coffee. Shows like these that even have a modicum of a general audience often have a tiered system of attendees. Major media outlets, CEOs or buyers for major retail chains, other publishers, and celebrities are the only people that almost instantly get to go hands on with the games most people there would sell their children for. If independent media outlets are relentless enough, they might be able to book sessions where they can pop in on a demo. The majority of the people there are waiting. Today, I heard stories of some people waiting up to 3hrs in line just to play Star Wars Battlefront.

We’re back at it again in just a few short hours. Remember these are just some editorial thoughts on the show’s design and layout itself. Check back for in-depth coverage of hands on game demos and interviews.

As we go back in tomorrow, we’ll go hands on with more games and talk about women emerging in the gaming industry.

Midday Tuesday, the Los Angeles Convention Center will open its exhibit hall doors and over 125,000 gamers, press, and VIPs will spend three days talking about and playing video games. Monday was the traditional press conference filled day before the show where each major publisher gets an hour or so in the media spotlight (except Nintendo which happens Tuesday morning). Over the last few years it’s become the unofficial start of E3 and today the latest chapter of console wars was waged.

These lavish presentations full of bright lights, fog machines, and the occasional video game trailer have become a competition between Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation. Sure a case could be made for Bethesda after their take no prisoners flurry of Doom and Fallout 4 on Sunday night, but for now we’ll only examine two of the big three (Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation).

Every year this day has the feel of a heavyweight prize fight in Vegas but with less scripted stuff, and for the most part it’s worth paying to see. This year could be summarized as the year of distinction. Rather than trade jabs or brag about how many units they’ve moved, both Sony and Microsoft stuck to what puts butts in their seats… games. In doing so each showed a shifted focus on different aspects of the market.

When Xbox opened their presentation this morning they did so by having a female lead from 343 Industries take the stage. For those who don’t know 343 Industries are the current developer of Halo games and the unquestionable massive blockbuster in the making Halo 5: Guardians. Huge step for female leaders in the gaming industry. Now as to where Xbox has focused their energy and resource, well it’s easy to see; they’re after the Summer popcorn flick audience.

Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Gears 4, Forza 6; all these exclusive experiences coming to the Xbox One and all are created on the premise of generating revenue in excess of 3 times what it cost to produce. You know what? They’ve got a legitimate shot of doing so. Look at Gears 4:

It’s over the top action, it’s entertaining violence, it’s a sequel, it’s Hollywood. The same could be said for the other big titles shown by Xbox.

Sure ID@Xbox exists to keep the footprint of independent creation at Microsoft, but nothing has emerged exclusively out of that camp as a contender for a game of the year award. There are some promising titles coming soon from it, particularly the Cuphead game, but it’s far from a “game changer”.

Xbox’s current strategy is focused on opening wallets with adrenaline rushes to the eyes, and along the way they managed to be first to give console gamers the thing they’ve been clamoring for, Backwards Compatibility! Monday they dropped information on the first true version of this feature we all believe is so simple you’d think it should have been there all along. It’s not a service you’ll have to pay for, nope, Xbox simply wants you to put in an old 360 game and play it on your new Xbox One. There’s still a lot of details to work out including; if the day comes where every game is backwards compatible but has online multiplayer servers that were shut down, what then. But this is a step in the right direction for Xbox and will certainly help them get the audience who haven’t made the transition from Xbox 360 to Xbox One for fear of losing their library.

Remember when we all wanted to burn Xbox at the stake and everyone groaned at DRM protected games and a console that always had to be connected to the Internet. Then when it came in $100 more than its competition everyone all but wrote off Microsoft. They’ve come a long way since those days. Now consider that Phil Spencer was the first corporate face in this new era of consoles to come out, and by focusing on games, say this is why you bought an Xbox One. While Xbox hasn’t fully recovered from their mistakes which led to an almost insurmountable uphill PR battle; they have managed get back up before the count of 10. Xbox is actually giving gamers what we want, deal with it!

Now don’t get things mixed up. PlayStation is my jam! The warm feels you have about that old 8-bit Nintendo where you had to blow in the cartridges, throw salt over your shoulder, and sacrifice a chicken in order to make it work (not sure about those last two); that’s how I feel about the original PS one. I’ve stuck with Sony through all their missteps and those E3 press events where you keep yelling at the screen begging them to stop showing a demo of a book. This year Sony put up one hell of a show, especially when going in it appeared they might not have much to talk about.

What they did demonstrate on Monday is how radically different their focus is from that of the competition. PlayStation, more than Microsoft, has an uncanny affirmation to the art of video games. Sure, we saw one presentation for their triple-A exclusive planet destroyer of a blockbuster, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Mind blown!

When it arrives, Uncharted 4 will be a contender for game of the year. The only other triple-A title to make an exclusive appearance for PlayStation was Guerrilla Games finally revealing the project they’ve been working on in secret. This world looks epic to say the least and the setting is definitely unique, take a look at Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Both these games are said to be coming in 2016, leaving Sony without a 2015 exclusive blockbuster game. Star Wars Battlefront is available on Xbox One, and if No Man’s Sky were to come out this year it’s still “console debut” on PlayStation. This means it may see a release at the competition.

Where Sony is really leading the charge is in indie games. Their resume in these stylish artistic experiences is unparalleled; Unfinished Swan and Journey just to name a few. While Sony have yet to put out true killer apps that remind us why we bought the PS4, they’ve managed to add real value using games considered too experimental by big publishers. PS4 gets Everyone’s Gone to Rapture, Devolver, and Killstrain; all nice additions to the PlayStation library.

Sony isn’t stopping there. Just look at what Little Big Planet architect Media Molecule is bringing to the table at some point.

Dreams is a game that taps into the artistic zeitgeist of the gaming community. I can’t wait to see what twisted beautiful creations players come up with using the game.

While 2015 is a holding year for Sony they reminded everyone that even though the big games of the year won’t be exclusive to Sony, some of their bonus content will be. For comic fans there’s no bigger game this year than Batman: Arkham Knight. Part of their presentation was showing off the exclusive Scarecrow Nightmare Missions for the game.  It was a level of insanity not yet seen in the Arkham franchise, a level of experimentation perfect for PlayStation. You fired a gun in first person view! You fired a gun in a Batman game!

Yes, we finally saw The Last Guardian again. It’s been 7 years and whole console cycle but the game is still in the works. Though for as long a wait as fans have endured, it just didn’t feel like a PS4 game… at least visually it didn’t. It’s still early with much left to be revealed about the game and it will certainly be a part of the PlayStation Experience this year.

Perhaps Sony’s biggest pop came from another long awaited return.

PlayStation and Final Fantasy have always gone hand-in-hand. It’s one of the many reasons for Sony’s loyal fan base over the years. We saw this game announced some time ago with cheap place holder graphics but seeing how next-level this title looks in its CG trailer; you couldn’t help but be filled with glee.

Sony’s media presentation managed to not bore me when the talk shifted to PlayStation Vue‘s a la carte TV service. It’s a feature that, while not on my wish list, has an appeal for anyone who hates paying 50 bucks a month for cable TV.

Massive kudos to PlayStation for not totally forgetting the Vita. Sony’s handheld is a great piece of hardware that’s never received its due. Many of the games shown during the press conference have Vita ports on the way or remote play functionality.

Also personal note, Sony gets extra points for giving me an excuse to tweet @beckycloonan during their baller a** pre-show. Any time that happens it’s a win for everyone. Now go read Gotham Academy #7.

So while it was far from a bad outing for PlayStation, it did reinforce the fact that the company’s best year is not 2015. In a culture that demands instant gratification, teasing what you’ll be playing in 2016/2017 doesn’t win you the battle.

Ultimately, these companies are on two different paths to lead the industry. Xbox is here to blow sh** up and take your money now. Meanwhile, PlayStation has become the artistic torch bearer of gaming; they’re inventing new types of experiences using the technology at hand… just not for us to use right now.

Who won E3 2015 media day? Well by what we saw from both camps today, it’s apparent Xbox took the win. It’s really the first year they can make that claim. Microsoft showed big games for this year, new ideas, and gave the crowd something we wanted from both systems, first. I’m a PlayStation guy through and through so it’s with a heavy heart I had to give Xbox the W. However, judging by the path Sony laid out for gamers today; I expect E3 2016 to be the biggest year PlayStation has in recent memory. Hopefully by then our cyborg bodies built by robot overlords will be ready.

Media Monday at E3 kicked off with Xbox where 500 dedicated fans camped out Saturday night to join press and VIP at the Galen Center this morning. Head of Xbox, Among all the buisness and media frenzy a small green pond of average fanboy/girl gamers joined Xbox on the floor as they laid out their plans for this holiday going into 2016.

Last year Microsoft delivered on their promise of focusing soely on games, games, and more games. It definitely helped the Xbox One make up some of its lost ground on Sony’s PS4 as the company won the battle of hardware sales on two different months in the past year, including a holiday period. What could Xbox do to follow its success?

Here comes the opening sizzle reel with Laura Croft, and Gears of War. This years motto “Jump Ahead”

343 Industries Bonnie Ross opened things by talking about all the new ip. It’s the first time I can remember a female voice open one of these presentation. Halo 5 is up first

This crowd is going nuts for the first story gameplay from Halo 5. (update with images later on). It’s smooth and the quirky covenant scrub charm is back. Here you’re playing as the game’s new protagonist John Locke.

With his own squad of marines, the team battles the enesmies from Halo 4. That annoying vanishing is back. I should have mentioned right now 4 people are on stage playing a co-op mission that takes place in the main story. A new reels showing off story cinematics and vehicular multiplayer combat is shown.

Halo 5 is playable at e3. The game will see players control two different teams of spartans with the ability to drop in and out at will. The multiplayer is said to be the bigges in the game’s over the top history.

Oh damn! World Premiere

The creators of Metroid Prime bring you a barren ravaged world where a girl and her robot companion battle hordes of killer androids to survive. This is Recore (Spring 2016)

Phil Spencer is on stage talking about the game and the state of Xbox. He called today’s line up “the greatest in Xbox history.”  So far, yeah it is!

A new feature for Xbox One, backwards compatibility!

Head of development Mike Ibarra is showing off the feature with Mass Effect on the Xbox One. It’s available this holiday. “we wont charge you to play the games you already own”

A new Xbox controller. Eliete will be available this fall, hair trigger locks, more preciison

Todd Howard from Bethesda is on stage after last nights Fallout 4 triumph. The demo is much of what we saw last night at Bethesda. A bit more of the game’s combat features are being shown including stepping into a mech suit and mowing down enemies with a chain gun.

They closed their portion of the presentation with the same reel from last night.

Todd announces Xbox exclusive feature? PC mods created on well PC can be transfered to Xbox One

EA’s Peter Moore is onstage to talk about EA access. A $5 a month service that grants early access to games and a vault of free old games. Titanfall joins EA access vault this week. Dragon Age INquisition comes to the service later this Summer. Play Fist, Play More, Play for Less. EA access vault is free for Xbox Live members all week.

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2. New characters, new worlds. A world premiere trailer was shown. Not Suburbia, it’s Zomburbia. This time around the plants are the invaders. Highway to the Dangerzone is making this even more epic. The game arrives Spring 2016. Check out @comicsbeat on instagram for up to the minute pictures.

A car came up through the floor and acsended to the celing! This is Forza Motorsport 6. To celebrate Ford’s GT anniversary the game has the car exclusively this year. September 15, 2015 you can drive it in the game and save thousands of dollars.

World Premiere from Bandai Namco. Dark Souls 3 in Early 2016. It looks freaking nuts from the CG tailer.

Now Ubisoft is showing the Division. A new trailer expaling the game’s story was shown. A virus decimated humanity and you’re part of an elite squad activated as a last resort, you are The Division. Lots of jumping over cars and shooting at people, sounds like fun. This action RPG set in New York. Xbox ONe players get an exclusive beta later this December.

Rainbow Six Siege followed with the announcement that both RS Vegas titles will be free with Siege. A new trailer was shown for Siege. The FPS focuses on team combat. Ubisoft have made this clear blowing up shit gun ho will not win the game. Play it October 10, 2015.

A stylish Windows 10 and Xbox Exclusive came on screeen. It’s an animated co op battle much like Gauntlet but better. Gigantic comes to beta this August.

Another sizzle reels for slew of Xbox games is shown. Including Ark, which we’ll go hands on with at the show this week. ID@ Xbox has some interesting titles coming from more than 1,000 independent developers.

The developers of Gone Home bring you Lunar Station Tacoma. This story driven game takes you through the mystery of a missing crew and launches 2016.

Ashen, from developer Auora44 is a cold fantasy exploration game that will see players survive a world of ghouls and monsters.

Beyond Eyes, is a game about a blind girl that tells a story of hope. Developer Tiger Squid will release the game later this year first on Xbox One.

Cuphead is a game with the look of a 1960’s Disney cartoon. Studio MDHR created the most lunatic game I’ve ever seen. Coming 1936 plus 20 years.

Xbox Game Preview lets users buy and try games still in development. A feature that’s common on PC but first on consoles here. The first titles include The Long Dark , Elite Dangerous,  and Day Z. A few titles will be available today.

Creator of Day Z, Dean Hall is on stage talking about wanting a game that’s “a universe”. He’s showing off the massive MMO called ION. The trailer shows a space thriller the likes of Alien.

Rise of The Tomb Raider.

New gameplay is being shown. The demo begins with Laura making her way out of an icy cave. The game’s looking real good. The ice climbing mechanics from the previous game are back. Laura scales the mountain to get a view of some ruins only to be knocked off by mother nature. As she dangles from a rope attached to her partner she swings to her own rescue and now is running from an avalanche. She Spider-Maned her way onto a different mountain! The demo ended with a trailer that shows some of the game’s story and the tombs she’ll raid. The game launches November 10, 2015.

A new xbox trailer that showcases stuff from Rare like Perfect Dark and Battletoads. 30 hit games in one collection, it’s Rare Replay available this August. 2015 is the studios 30th anniversary.

The studio also has a new game. A premiere trailer using in game footage starts in a cartoony animated beach. Cut to pirates sailing on harsh water and forcing another pirate to walk the plank. This game is Sea of Thieves.

Fable Legends is free to play on Xbox One and PC with crossplay between the two. This co-op version of Fables launches soon.

A new partnership with ValVR and Oculus is being mentioned. An Xbox One controller ships with Oculus.

Microsoft Hololens revelaed in January is like google glass but more futuristic. Now we’ll learn how it works with gaming. The demo is using Minecraft built for Hololens is being shown. Ok Hololens just took the Minecraft world and rendered it on an object in the real world. We’re seeing what Hololens is seeing and I can’t distinguish that it doesn’t exist in the real world when you watch the screen and the stage at the same time.

Gears of War is up next. Rod Ferguson is on stage to talk about Gearrs of War Ultimate edition on Augst 25, 2015. Public multiplayer beta starts today.

Now lets get into Gears of War 4, Game features new characters. The world looks like something out of Walking Dead if it were in the Salem witch trials. Its lighting effects are gorgeously blending with the real world weather. Our heroes storm into a desolate old building full of books and a monster hive. You had a flashlight now itls gone and things go from bad to worse. This character runs through a hallway laced with gross looking pods that you shouldn’t touch even on a dare. These don’t seem like the traditional enemies you faced in previous games. You can still chainsaw them though. Yep it’s called Gears 4 and it hits Holiday 2016.

Phil Spencer is back on stage enticing the audience to move from the 360 to Xbox One. There will be more reveals on Xbox at E3 during the week. We’ll update this post with assets in a few as things wind down.

One last check of the recent comics x gaming news before E3 officially gets underway. Let’s Go!

Starbreeze Studios, the developer behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons announced its dive into the Virtual Reality hardware pool and promises the widest field of view available. StarVR boasts a 210 degree horizontal field of view and 5120×1440 resolution, thanks to dual 5.5-inch displays. The company took over the House of Blues in Hollywood last night with a star studded event to show off the new headset just before E3.

StarVR is set to compete against Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus, but it’s brining Overkill’s The Walking Dead and a literally a VR shotgun as part of its arsenal. Check out the presentation video:

No word of pricing or release window, but the Walking Dead game will be hands on demoed for attendees at E3 this week on the hardware.

Our Thought:

The VR market is quickly filling up before the first hardware even hits consumers Cheeto dusted fingers. With Oculus and Sony’s hardware set to launch next year, Starbreeze better be along quick if they hope to capitalize on early adopters. Is there an appeal for everyone out there to see what it’s like to get eaten by a zombie?

Published this September by Dark Horse Comics in partnership with Electronic Arts and DICE, creators of the Mirror’s Edge franchise, Mirror’s Edge: Exordium will grant fans special insight into the origin of Faith, the protagonist of the new Mirror’s Edge Catalyst video game. Written by Christofer Emgård, narrative director at DICE, with art by Mirror’s Edge in-house artists Emgård, Mattias Häggström, Robert Sammelin, Henrik Sahlström, and Erik Persson, ME: Exordium is a six issue limited series that aims to dive deep into the complex bouncing off buildings world of Mirror’s Edge.

“Set in a world as iconic as it is visually stunning, with one of the most compelling and unique protagonists in popular culture, Mirror’s Edge is tailor made for great comics,” said Dark Horse senior editor Dave Marshall. “It’s an awesome opportunity to be able to kick off our partnership with DICE with this series!”

Mirror’s Edge: Exordium #1
Christofer Emgård (W) Mattias Häggström, Robert Sammelin, Henrik Sahlström, Erik Persson (A)
Robert Sammelin (Cover)
$3.99, 32 pages
On sale September 9

Our Thought:

The first Mirror’s Edge game was a rare new idea from EA, a publisher not typically known for breaking away from sequels and sports. While not a blockbuster, the game did well enough to green light a sequel. GO US! A small miracle when you consider today’s landscape where we all complain about there not being anything new, yet refuse to support new IP. What has me a bit worried though is the creative team on the new book is all from video game developer DICE. While it might not necessarily be a bad thing, we’ll have to wait and see what the end result is. However, the reason Dark Horse has success both financially and artistically with The Last of Us: American Dreams is due to the creative partnership between Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks. Both are storytellers in different mediums, but they worked together to translate the vastly different languages of gaming and comics in order to create something that felt right in both worlds. I’ll remain optimistic for the time being since the book is at Dark Horse and now they’ve got the resume of quality adapted from video game books (Halo, Last of US, Witcher) which gives them license to try just about anything.

Today, Nintendo dropped big news for fans of the party brawling game Super Smash Bros. During a special video presentation focused on Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, the game’s director, Masahiro Sakurai, unveiled a smashing amount of new content for the games, including two new playable characters: Ryu from the Street Fighter series and Roy from Fire Emblem. They both join Lucas from Mother 3 as new playable fighters, and are available for download now! This additional paid content lands alongside a major software update that launched today for both systems, which also includes three new stages and many new costumes for Mii Fighters, including outfits from classic fighting series Virtua Fighterand Tekken. With these new characters, stages and costumes, top fighting game franchises Super Smash Bros., Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter and Tekken unite for the very first time.

Here’s the complete rundown of content straight from Nintendo:

• Ryu from Street Fighter^®: For the first time in Super Smash Bros. history, a character from the fighting game series Street Fighter^® joins the battle. Iconic character Ryu, whose look in the game is based on Street Fighter II^®, brings a new fighting style and feel to Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. Ryu’s traditional Light, Medium and Heavy attacks can be used depending on whether players tap, press or hold the buttons. Classic Street Fighter^®moves like Hadoken and Shoryuken can be activated with just a one-button press, but players who enter the original button combinations from the Street Fighter^® series will perform the same actions with higher damage. Ryu can be purchased in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS for $5.99 each, or both game versions together for $6.99. Purchase includes the bonus Suzaku Castle stage from the Street Fighter^® series. This classic environment provides stable footing on the right side and a series of platforms on the left. It can also be played in Omega form, giving the stage a look and feel much like in the Street Fighter II^® original.

• Roy from Fire Emblem: A fan-favorite from his last appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee for Nintendo GameCube, Roy from the Fire Emblem franchise returns to the series more powerful than ever before. Unlike Marth, Roy’s sword is stronger closer to the hilt, so he works better in close range. Roy also now has a Final Smash move in the form of a devastating sword blow. Roy can be purchased in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U for $3.99, or both game versions together for $4.99.

• Lucas from Mother 3: As previously announced, Lucas is also available to purchase as a new downloadable character. Originating in the Japan-only Game Boy Advance RPG Mother 3, Lucas primarily uses lightning attacks to smash his opponents. Lucas can be purchased in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS for $3.99, or both game versions together for $4.99.

• New Mii Fighter costumes: Multiple video games and characters from the past and present are represented in a new set of Mii Fighter costumes now available through the new update. Two costumes from classic fighting game Virtua Fighter are based on the Akira and Jacky characters, with Akira even maintaining his blocky polygonal look from the original game. Tekken fighter Heihachi (and his amazing hair) serves as inspiration for one costume, with additional costumes based on Isabelle from Animal Crossing, MegaMan.EXE from Mega Man Battle Network, ZERO from Mega Man X, the Inkling Girl and Boy and the squid hat from Splatoon also available. All costumes – eight in total – can be purchased in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii Ufor $6, or both game versions together for $9.20. Costumes can also be purchased individually for $0.75 in either Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, or both game versions together for $1.15 each.

• Dreamland stage: Based on the first Dreamland stage from the original Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64, this stage returns with a few tweaks. The Dreamland stage can be purchased in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U for $1.99, or both game versions together for $2.99.

• Everything: Players who want every fighter, stage, outfit and accessory featured among today’s DLC releases can buy them all at once. The whole DLC pack can be purchased in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U for $21.96, or both game versions together for $29.16.

• Miiverse stage: Available now to download for free, this new stage for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U features Miiverse posts created by players all over the world. During matches while connected to the Internet, players will see Miiverse posts appear that cheer specific fighters on from the background. These messages will be pulled from individual Miiverse communities that just opened for each Super Smash Bros. character.

• Tourney mode: Scheduled to launch as part of a free update in August, two new Tourney modes are coming to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Community Tourneys let players compete for the highest points in a certain amount of time, while regular Tourneys have a specific set of rules and only happen at select times.

• YouTube replays: Coming exclusively to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U at a later date, this free new feature allows players to post replay videos of their matches on YouTube. To use this feature, players must possess a Google account. Please visit http://www.smashbros.com/us/ for additional details.

• Additional Super Smash Bros. amiibo: Mii Fighters are getting their own amiibo figures! When used in the game, the Mii Brawler, Mii Swordfighter and Mii Gunner amiibo characters can be configured with custom faces and players’ collected accessories and costumes. Four additional Super Smash Bros. characters are also getting amiibo: R.O.B., Duck Hunt, Mr. Game & Watch and Falco. These new amiibo will be available this September, except Falco who will be available this holiday season. Eventually, all playable characters in Super Smash Bros. will have corresponding amiibo figures, including Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy and Ryu.

• Bonus Trophies: After downloading the update, in-game bonus trophies based on Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter^®, Roy, Lucas and Splatoon will be available to unlock in play. Players can collect these trophies by completing All-Star mode in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

Our Thought:

Yeah, $30 for all this content is a bit steep. On the other hand, Ryu in Smash Bros! Great job by Nintendo of not forcing gamers to buy this all in one bundle and making each piece available a la carte.

Tomorrow, everything begins. So get ready for a flood of news and happenings.

Last year, tons of comic book publishers made major announcements to avoid being drowned out in the noise that is Comic-Con. Looks like gaming is following suit. In the last few days we’ve had major gaming news surprise audiences and things we speculated would be revealed at the show be announced days before. Tonight, let’s talk about Star Wars Battlefront, Ratchet & Clank, and The Walking Dead. Let’s Go! ( Secret Wars books at the bottom)

DICE, the developer behind this November’s highly anticipated Star Wars Battlefront game, released a new screen shot in anticipation of their showing at E3 next week.

The image reveled through the game’s twitter account shows rebels fighting off the empire on what looks to be the ice planet, Hoth. A planet that was revealed to be one of the Battlefront’s 12 multiplayer maps alongside locations like Endor and Tattoine.

Our Thought:

With Titanfall 2 being kept quiet, Battlefront will have a strong presence possibly showing off a nearly ready for launch version of the game. With Star Wars happenings announced for SDCC, this could be the beginning  of a tour that will see Battelfront hit locations like D23, SDCC, and Gamescom. And why not… with the movie to come out shortly after EA’s Star Wars there’s never been a greater opportunity more quality synergy between different mediums. With Sony’s presentation being light on first party exclusives we could see some gameplay during EA’s event and an announcement about more exclusive content during the PlayStation press conference.

In 2016, Insomniac Games partners with animation company Blockade to bring a feature length Ratchet & Clank movie to the big screen. Today on the PlayStation Blog, the developer released a trailer for the original Ratchet & Clank game re-imagined for the PS4.

The game will feature new planets, boss fights, and gameplay not seen in the original PS2 title. This might be the first time we’ve seen a game, based on a movie, based on a game. Ratchet & Clank the game comes exclusively to the PS4 in Spring 2016 alongside the film coming to theaters at the same time.

Also for any LA area readers, PlayStation Blog also announced plans for their E3 meet up:

E3 Community Event

If you’re lucky enough to live in SoCal, we’ve got a treat for you. You’re invited to swing by the San Diego Studios E3 Community Meetup located outside of the West Hall entrance of the L.A. Convention Center (at Figueroa and Pico) on Wednesday, June 17th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm — it’s free and open to the public! Just look for the MLB The Show “Trophy House” tent. 

You’ll meet San Diego Studios developers and be among to first to play:

• MLB 15 The Show
• Drawn To Death
• Guns Up!
• Killstrain

There will be opportunities to give feedback to developers, too, including a gentleman by the name of David Jaffe. You won’t wanna miss that!

Nearby, you’ll also be able to go hands-on with Star Wars Battlefront, try out the Star Wars Battlefront X-Wing Experience, and pick up PlayStation gear from the merchandise store. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday afternoon!

Our Thought:

The original PS2 platformer was one of the experiences that allowed PlayStation to overtake Nintendo and Xbox in the early console wars. Loaded with off the wall weaponry, action, and comedy; R&C is regarded by many as one of the best games of all time. I’ve consistently complained about companies porting over old games, but this is different for various reasons. Sony isn’t bringing over a game consumers already bought as recently as 2012, it’s been 13 years since the original game came debuted on the PS2. Additionaly, Insomniac isn’t handing over anything to another developer. Insomniac is giving fans more than just a visual upgrade, they’re loading this old favorite with a buffet of new additions. While the developer has promised to keep the beats of the story intact, they’ll be delving much deeper into the characters to be on par with the upcoming film. I believe it when they say it isn’t just a remaster. While we’ll see a ton of the game next week, it’s still too early to talk about price.

Global videogame publisher 505 Games today announced its line-up of titles and announcements that will be showcased at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in Los Angeles. Notably, they’re working with Overkill. If you played the ultra violent first-person shooter Payday you know their work well. Payday put you in the shoes of a team of bank robbers as you staged heist and went to war with the police.

While the company is concurrently working on another Payday title, they’ll also be showing off their new game based in the world of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comics.

OVERKILL’S THE WALKING DEAD marries two of the most vibrant and rabid fan-bases in the world to create a true co-op, first person shooter experience. OVERKILL has conceived new characters, plots and story-arcs that will live in the ever expansive world of The Walking Dead graphic novel series. 

OVERKILL’S THE WALKING DEAD is in development by OVERKILL – a Starbreeze studio, along with Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead graphic novel series. The game will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2016.

Our Thought:

Activision’s Walking Dead Survial Instinct wasn’t quite what we were hoping for out of an action themed game in Kirkman’s universe.  With limiting Overkill’s game release to the newer consoles, the studio has a chance to create an action experience worthy of the stories told in Walking Dead. This was the last thing we saw about the game a year ago, and I for one can’t wait to see what where they’re at a year later.

Monday, we’ll be on the ground at the Xbox, EA, and PlayStation events. Then as the show opens Tuesday we’ll be getting hands on time and talking to developers for:

• Rockband 4
• Lego Marvel’s Avengers
• Starwars Battlefront
• Disney Infinity 3.0
• And more…

In the meantime enjoy some of this week’s Secret Wars comics from Marvel

Marvel.com/redeem (1st come 1st served)

Ghost Riders #1: FMCR9WSS7AT0

Mrs.Deadpool & the Howling Commandos #1: FMC48U99AM1X

Captain Marvel & the Carol Corps #1: FMCSE0FKIRYR

Marvel Zombies #1: FMCN6X442PXV

We’re just a month away from the super comic-con bowl of video games, E3. Soon the entire Los Angeles Convention Center will be filled with creative giants, CEOs, journalists, “models” tempting you with cheap sunglasses or free T-shirts, and those fortunate enough to get into the show.

This special late Sunday night edition of WTGB comes sponsored by my DayQuil binge followed up with NyQuil chasers to even me out and an apology for not being able to write wrap ups for Marvel’s Secret Wars. With E3 and a few other shows fast approaching, there’s just no time to do it justice after that fantastic second issue came out last week. I will be posting digital codes of all the May tie-in and spine series issues at the bottom of Game Beat, starting with this one. Enjoy!

For now let’s turn the focus to all the things we want to see at E3 2015. Which means I can officially confirm Comics Beat will be on the show floor and the press events covering all the comics related games and more… but mostly to collect free bags, shirts, and magazines to level out my coffee table with.

From indies to first party exclusives, E3 2015 will be about games, games, and more games. Being in the middle of a new hardware cycle, the focus for this E3 will be soely on the games coming to the consoles and PC.

Batman: Arkham Knight is the first big release post E3, having a full on playable version at the show is a bit of a no brainer, though I wouldn’t expect any new announcements concerning its content. The boys at Rocksteady are already doing an excellent job of teasing the public, they’ve even released a new Arkham Insider video showing off the “dual play” system.

Ever since Lego announced their toy based game, Dimensions; it’s been radio silent on the Lego Marvel Avengers game coming this Fall. While it won’t be part of anyone’s presentations, the game should be playable on the show floor and word of a hard release date seems like a good bet. I’m curious to see if it will still have all the open world goodness of Lego Marvel Super Heroes.

With the recent word of Telltale Games not releasing Season 3 of their Walking Dead game in 2015, the developer has been vocal about announcing something big to come soon for Walking Dead fans. Telltale usually like to keep things intimate and off the exhibit floor at E3, it stands to reason they’ll be showing a brand new Walking Dead one-shot game that doesn’t tie directly into Clementine’s story behind closed doors once again. Perhaps some art, a teaser; but whatever they show will most likely be their September release.

Then there’s the Secret Wars event going on at Marvel. We know there’s going to be a toy line coming to Toys R Us in conjunction with it . Word has been quiet on how the Marvel’s current buffet of mobile titles or a new game would play off the Battleworld. Remember Marvel Super Heroes, the fighting game on PS1?

It was more or less the Infinity Gauntlet game. While we probably won’t get anything close to that for Secret Wars, we’re sure to hear about at least some kind of add-on content for one of these games tying into Secret Wars.

As for the big three…

Per usual, Microsoft will start the round of June 15 press events. Xbox head, Phil Spencer, brought a strong showing in 2014 that translated to boosted sales for the Xbox One. He’s certain to follow the same game centric formula as last year. On the non-gaming front, we don’t expect them to waste valuable time going over all the services, however a demonstration of the Xbox One’s long talked about DVR functionality might be in order. Could we also see a redesigned version of the Xbox One? While the 360 went through some variants in its lifetime, it never happened as quickly as this one would, should it be part of Microsoft’s announcements for E3.

Where Halo 5: Guardians places in the Xbox presentation will be very telling in terms of aces up Microsoft’s sleeve. The game’s hard release date of October 27 is just a few months away. We’ve seen a ton of art and pieces of the story thanks to its viral “Hunt the Truth” campaign. If Xbox’s presentation opens with Halo, weather it’s campaign gameplay or multiplayer, it would indicate Microsoft will end with the official announcement of the new Gears of War game for Xbox One, maybe even alongside footage from the original GOW remake coming to the new console. With, Quantum Break delayed to 2016 and original unproven IPs set to be announced; closing their press event with a new installment of a proven franchise makes the most sense.

Sony PlayStation will close E3 Media Monday at the LA Sports Arena. We’re sure to hear a lot of bragging about the millions of units PS4 has sold to date during their presentation. As for what they’ll show and announce during their time in the media’s eye… Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a given. Even though it’s been moved to 2016 and an extended preview was previously shown during PlayStation Experience in Vegas; Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann will be onstage to tell us something we don’t know about the game that will make the wait feel that much longer.

If Druckmann is indeed on stage, what better time than having the eyes of the world watching to bring out Sam Rami and show the first clip of The Last of Us movie. Sure it’s a long shot, but E3 has a history of huge surprises. Could we also get the Uncharted trilogy remastered for PS4? So far the PlayStation 4 has been all about porting Sony’s previous system classics to the new one with The Last of Us Remastered and the next up God of War remaster. PlayStation has a ton of things they need to update consumers on such as their VR Project Morpheous, backwards compatibility, and the other big game of PS Experience No Man’s Sky. They could have an out of the blue announcement, but with so much they’ve previously confirmed yet not put in our hands they simply don’t need one.

There’s also the PlayStation Originals which brought us the polarizing Brian Michael Bendis adaptation of his creator owned book, Powers. Because of the season 2 announcement, it stands to reason the debut series was a success on some level for Sony. Why else would they be willing to invest further money in more episodes. If it exceeded their expectations expect solid viewer numbers to be part of their humble brag and some art or still from season 2 to be included. One of the few surprises Sony could have waiting in the wings might be an expansion of PS Originals content, maybe other adaptations of popular comics. Personally, I’m rooting for Matt Fraction’s Sex Criminals mainly due to my wanting to see Chip Zdarsky awkwardly appear onstage during another big presentation.

Nintendo is actually the gray area of the show. Their Tuesday June 16 digital press conference has already dropped news ahead of itself. According to Nintendo, we won’t be seeing the delayed Legend of Zelda for Wii U. They are however bringing the Nintendo World Championships to the show from the –long long long– ago film The Wizard. Would there really be much of a point to having Fred Savage and the Power Glove appear during a press event that no one will physically be in attendance for? Mario Maker will also be available that week for the general public to try at select retailers during E3.

The Wii U and DS are likely to have announcements about new Pokemon, Metroid, and Animal Crossing but those would probably be leaked a bit before the show. Nintendo also has the slim possibility of being the only console company showing off hardware with their rumored new “NX” system in development. Currently no details are known about the system. Nintendo wouldn’t want to deter any future Wii U sales by even talking about new hardware that isn’t coming out this year so the possibility that we’ll see it at the show is highly unlikely.

What do you want to see during E3 2015? Who do you think will win this year’s E3? What size shirts do you all use?

Also here’s codes for digital copies of Secret Wars 1-2, Magneto, and Mighty Avengers. (First come first served) We’ll also be giving away physical copies of all the May Secret Wars books at the end of the Month thanks to my LCS and if you’re in the LA or Long Beach, CA areas go buy your Secret Wars at Pulp Fiction. All this month they’re selling every new Secret Wars issue (and tie-ins) 50% off. 

Marvel.com/redeem

Magneto 18- FMC1M3NNXDX8

Mighty Avengers 18 – FMDUEP80DYIR

SECRET WARS 1- FMCJG76UTQDV

SECRET WARS 2- FMD7GMLM7F4B

What a weekend it’s been. Between Avengers, “Fights of the century”, Free Comic Book Day, the Suicide Squad reveal, and the Batman: Arkham Knight DLC info; some of us didn’t even get a weekend. On the Monday night edition of WGB we’ll talk about some of the tidbits that slipped through the cracks in the last few days such as Star Wars Infinity, and The Last of Us. This week doesn’t show signs of slowing down either as we got a full trailer look at Jason’s appearance in Mortal Kombat X, plus a Legend of Zelda graphic novel hits stores this Wednesday. Let’s Go!

This past Thursday, a retail leak fueled speculation that the upcoming Disney Infinity 3.0 would feature Star Wars characters. The 3.0 set leaked by retailer Saturn shows a set that includes toys based on both Anakin Skywalker and Clone Wars star Ahsoka Tano. No word on when the new 3.0 Infinity game would launch or what systems it would be available for.

Our Thought:

The first Disney Infinity featured characters from classic Disney films while 2.0 brought Marvel characters into the toy box. It seems logical that the next phase of Infinity would feature Star Wars. With the slew of new comics and upcoming movies, every division of the Disney machine should have a way to pry open wallets all over the world. While no official announcements have been made, it seems a safe bet that the new Disney Infinity would follow their incumbents model of releasing on all the major platforms. Over the last year not only has Disney Infinity had to compete with the popular Skylanders game toy franchise, but Nintendo also made a splash in the market with their Amibos. Most recently, Lego announced they would also release their own version of this with Lego Dimensions. All this adds up to Disney Interactive needing to do something huge to gain a hold on market share, which means consumers could see the biggest Infinity line up yet. With gamings biggest week, E3, right around the corner you can expect the official word to come sooner rather than later.

The Last of Us: Left Behind, the single player downloadable add-on chapter to developer Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed PlayStation game, The Last of Us, was released more than a year ago. Since then the PS3 classic has seen a full 1080p remastered edition bundled for the PS4, now the DLC chapter comes standalone and will be available on both PS4 and PS3 starting May 12th for only $9.99. Left Behind is the story of Ellie and her best friend Riley as they sneak out to an abandoned mall to enjoy their last night together. It also touches on a key battle for Ellie not seen in the main story campaign that takes place right before you briefly play as her in the Winter.

Those who purchase the standalone version of Left Behind will also get a two hour trial of the factions multiplayer mode.

Our Thought:

Yes, most of you who’ve owned or currently own a PS3/4 have already played The Last of Us and most likely its DLC chapter. However, there are quite a few gamers out there who may have been caught in the next-gen transition that didn’t want to pay another $49.99 for the remastered edition just to play the DLC. This move seems to be geared toward that part of the audience. If you haven’t played either of the games, you’re missing out on one this generations best stories. Left Behind especially makes a bold stand for diversity with its characters not only as female protagonists, but as voices for young teens who might be struggling with their own identities.

If you want to go even deeper into the world of TLOU, then check out the Dark Horse Comics published companion series, The Last of Us: American Dreams. The book was written by the game’s mastermind himself, Neil Druckmann in collaboration with the incredible Faith Erin Hicks. You can find it in shops and online.

We’ve known for months now that Mortal Kombat X‘s Kombat Pack downloadable content would include the Predator and horror film icon Jason Vorhees. Now more has been revealed about Jason’s appearance including all three of his style variations players can choose before the fight.

• Slasher: The character goes classic white mask and uses the machete to slash the sternums of his opponents. Lots of bloodshed.
• Relentless: This variation changes his mask chrome and uses barehanded attacks. The quirk about this mode is that it also comes with the ability to flip an opponents block buttons and teleportation.
• Unstopabble: Just as the name would suggest. Jason is able to regenerate health and power up his attacks.

Players who purchased the Kombat Pack will be able to download the character starting tomorrow. If you don’t own the Kombat pack you’ll have to wait until May 12 to purchase the Jason pack for $8 which also includes the “horror pack” skins for Melina, Ermac, and Reptile.

Our Thought: 

MKX has been a great time for gamers. I’ve yet to complete the classic towers with every character. Now the addition of the movie franchise characters we were teased gives me more reason to dive back into combat. Monday’s Netherrealm live stream (archived here) also teased what we’ll see when the Predator comes to the game. Some out there might think having these licensed characters might be cheeky, but they don’t have any real barring on the MKX story. They’re just there for a cheap pop and there’s sure to be more incoming fighters from previous Mortal Kombat games, maybe even a DC Villain.

Mortal Kombat X is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC with Ps3 and Xbox 360 versions to launch this Summer.

Monday also marked “May the fourth be with you” a holiday for lovers of Star Wars. To celebrate EA and DICE posted a look at the planet Sullust in the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront game. The game’s developer, DICE, traveled to Iceland to base an unexplored planet in the legendary sci-fi series’ mythos. In their chronicles which you can view on the game’s site, fans will see the developers travel to locations used in the original film for planets such as Endor.

Our Thought:

For anyone who looked at the game’s trailer during Star Wars celebration and said it’s nothing special, take in to account just how much detail DICE is stretching to put into this game. Star Wars: Battlefront is poised to become the new standard by which all future Star Wars games will be measured. You know, as long as they don’t include the prequels.

Star Wars: Battlefront will come to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17, 2015.

Before we get to this Wednesday’s new comic releases. I wanted to mention that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past graphic novel will be in stores. Originally published as a 12-issue comic in Nintendo Power magazine, this reprinting captures the original story by Shotaro Ishinomori as it was told back in the 90’s.

Our Thought:

We’ve read it and it’s a must have for any Zelda fans. When I first read the Shotaro Ishinomori story in Nintendo Power, I couldn’t appreciate just how spot on this tale nails some of my favorite characters of the game. It pays tribute to Zelda’s core themes of adventure and good versus evil, plus it’s pretty damn gorgeous.

Gaming comics in stores 5/6/15

Today we’re bringing you our monthly roundup of cool youth media and marketing events you or colleagues from your company may want to attend. If your company hosts an event relevant to the youth media or marketing space that you’d like... Read the rest of this post

Today we’re bringing you our monthly roundup of cool youth media and marketing events you or colleagues from your company may want to attend. If your company hosts an event relevant to the youth media or marketing space that you’d like... Read the rest of this post

After passing along the biggest buzz out of the E3 [Electronic Entertainment Expo] in Essentials last week, we're excited to have an on-the-ground report from Youth Advisory Board member Chase Straight, who attended the event for his day job in the... Read the rest of this post

Today's Youth Advisory Board post is a review of this year's E3 conference from our resident gamer Michael Hayball who attended the show "virtually" by watching G4's coverage as well as his favorite gaming blogs. As always, you can communicate... Read the rest of this post